Apple warns of iPhone 8 hardware defect

Apple has identified a manufacturing defect in the iPhone 8 that's causing some of them to malfunction.

Faulty logic boards are causing a "very small percentage" of the model to unexpectedly restart, freeze the screen or not turn on at all, the company said late Friday. Apple says it will repair the iPhone logic boards for free.

Affected iPhones were old in the US, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macua and New Zealand between September 2017 and March, 2018, Apple said. Units must be in original condition -- meaning no physical damage such as a cracked screen -- to qualify for the logic board repair.

The repair program covers handsets for three years after the first retail sale of the unit, Apple said.